Paul Holmes: To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of training undertaken by security staff at the House of Commons in dealing with wheelchair users. [102470]
Nick Harvey: Training in visitor care has been delivered by external specialists in recent months to mixed groups of police, security officers and visitor assistants. The training has concentrated on providing customer focused services to meet the high expectations of all visitors including wheelchair users.
The training is judged to have been effective and the vast majority of wheelchair users have enjoyable visits to the House.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to improve the Chowns Mill Roundabout at the A6/A45 interchange in Wellingborough constituency. [101615]
Dr. Ladyman: I regret that I am unable to bring forward any proposals for the major improvement of the A6/A45 Chowns Mill Roundabout at the present time.
I have accepted the advice of East Midlands Regional Assembly that such an improvement is not a transport investment priority for the East Midlands in the period to 2015-16.
However, the Highways Agency and Northamptonshire county council continue to work together to monitor, determine and provide minor improvements to help alleviate current operational problems at the junction, including provision of a footbridge for non-motorised users.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions on transport provision in Northamptonshire his Department has had with Bee Bee Developments. [100602]
Gillian Merron:
The Department has had numerous meetings with a range of developers across the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area, including
Bee Bee Developments. The Department meets with developers in order to discuss ways of managing the impact of growth on the transport network.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue has been generated by the premium rate phone line for the renewal of car tax since its introduction. [102738]
Dr. Ladyman: There is no premium rate phone line for the renewal of car tax. However, revenue earned from DVLA's national rate number 0870 8504444 for the renewal of car tax since its introduction to date is £454,535.46.
Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to conclude the review of parking provision at Chester station. [100568]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department is currently working with Network Rail, Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains to develop plans for the expansion of car parking at Chester station, commensurate with the introduction of service improvements in December 2008.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide additional resources to local authorities implementing the free travel scheme for the elderly to compensate them for additional costs involved. [102728]
Gillian Merron: From April this year, older and disabled people have been guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel within their local authority area. The Government provided an extra £350 million in 2006-07 (and will provide a further £367.5 million in 2007-08) to fund the extra costs to local authorities arising from this move from half-fare to free local travel.
From April 2008 we will extend this minimum concession further to include free off-peak travel anywhere in England. Up to an extra £250 million per year has been earmarked to fund this new national concession. Local authorities have retained, and will retain, the discretion to offer (and fund from their own resources) enhancements to the statutory minimum, such as peak bus travel and/or concessions on other modes.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) drivers and (b) others were killed in crashes involving drivers who had exceeded the alcohol limit in each of the last five years. [100964]
Dr. Ladyman: The following table shows the estimated number of fatal casualties in road accidents where at least one of the drivers or riders involved was over the legal limit:
Car drivers | Other road users (including pedestrians) | |
Note: Estimated figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and therefore may not sum to previously published totals. |
Final figures for 2005 are not yet available. Figures are estimated using data from the police and from coroners records.
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the system whereby drivers from outside the UK can drive within the UK for up to 12 months without obtaining a British driving licence does not apply to drivers from countries where standards for obtaining a driving licence are not sufficiently high. [101584]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 21 November 2006]: The rules governing driving in this country by holders of non-UK and non-EU licences stem from international agreements. They are based on statutory requirements on which there is no discretion. New legislation and international agreement would be required to change this.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effects of reductions in the expenditure of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the movement of freight away from roads onto the inland waterways. [101847]
Dr. Ladyman: I am aware of concerns about this issue. DEFRA leads on inland waterways, but the Department for Transport and DEFRA officials do meet on a regular basis to discuss issues of mutual interest. However, it is ultimately a matter for navigation authorities to prioritise their activities in the light of competing demands for available resources.
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the motorway network is provided with lighting. [101583]
Dr. Ladyman: Approximately 30 per cent. of the motorway network in England is lit.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on the post-Panamax facilities at the Port of Liverpool. [102558]
Dr. Ladyman: The report of the Inspector who conducted the public inquiry into the application for the container terminal facilities at the Port of Liverpool is under careful consideration in accordance with statutory procedures. The Secretary of State's decision will be announced when the statutory process is complete.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the standard of service on the Liverpool Street to Chelmsford line for commuters; and if he will make a statement. [100585]
Mr. Tom Harris: The Department does not receive performance data on a route-by-route basis. Network Rail provide data at an aggregate train operating company level. For one railway, the latest published Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average is 87.2 per cent.
Source:
Network Rail.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains were cancelled because of vandalism on the tracks in each year since 1997 for which figures are available (a) in total, (b) in each region and (c) broken down by train operating company. [102450]
Mr. Tom Harris: Train cancellation data for the Rail Network as a whole are collected and processed by Network Rail. The information requested is not held by the Department.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of vandalism there were on (a) trains, (b) stations, (c) railway tracks and (d) railway depots in each police authority area in each year since 1997. [102745]
Mr. Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at:
British Transport Police
25 Camden Road
London
NW1 9LN
E-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on road pricing. [101488]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport receives a large number and range of representations on road pricing both through correspondence and meetings.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of road schemes (a) in the targeted programme of improvements and (b) approved under (i) the local transport plans and (ii) community infrastructure fund. [102675]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 685W to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling).
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure greater consistency in speed limits on rural roads. [102303]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department published new guidance on setting local speed limits on 8 August 2006. One of its key objectives is improved clarity, which will aid greater consistency of speed limits across the country. Traffic authorities have been requested to review speed limits on their A and B roads in accordance with the new guidance, and implement any necessary changes by 2011.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the trend in casualties among cyclists on roads; and what steps he plans to take to improve road safety among cyclists. [101884]
Dr. Ladyman: Trends in pedal cycle casualties are published by the Department in Road Casualties Great Britain: 2005. The statistics can be found in table 1K in the article Review of progress toward the 2010 casualty reduction targets and in tables 2, 6, 9, 10 and 52. Copies of this publication are available in the Libraries of the House.
Measures to improve road safety for cyclists include providing better infrastructure, promoting cycle training, improving training and testing for motorists and encouraging cyclists to protect themselves by making themselves conspicuous, and by wearing a safety helmet.
We concentrate our cycle safety publicity on teenagers and younger children, as these are the most vulnerable groups. Cycle Sense encourages teenagers to wear cycle helmets and provides advice on technique; cycle maintenance and visibility are also addressed. The campaign consists of a series of posters, a website and a supporting TV Filler film. Earlier this year, the Department also ran a new cycle safety campaign aimed at teenagers with Emap magazines and TV channels, featuring a website and a comic to support it. Cycle Smart, which includes a comic, website and posters, is aimed at younger children and uses Disney characters to communicate simple cycle safety messages.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on a whole route approach to road safety; and if he will make a statement. [101885]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport has not commissioned or evaluated any research on a whole route approach to road safety.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the reduction in vehicle kilometres that would result from any (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent. and (c) 50 per cent. increase in average vehicle occupancy. [102659]
Dr. Ladyman: In 2005, cars and taxis travelled 397 billion kilometres with an average occupancy rate of 1.6. If the occupancy rate had been 10 per cent., 20 per cent. and 50 per cent. higher, then car and taxi traffic would have been 9 per cent, 17 per cent and 33 per cent lower respectively than it was. Such a fall in car and taxi traffic would cause total kilometres driven by all vehicles to fall by 7 per cent., 13 per cent. and 27 per cent. respectively.
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has plans to change the aggregate levy sustainability fund. [100658]
Barry Gardiner: Her Majestys Treasury Ministers and I are currently considering whether the Aggregates Levy Sustainability fund should continue and, if so, what activities it should fund from April 2007 onwards.
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